Los Angeles County lifeguards teach Department of Mental Health employees how to perform Hands-Only CPR. Photo by Douglas G. Morrison.
by Nicole Mooradian
Thousands of Los Angeles County employees are learning Hands-Only CPR thanks to a program established by the Fire Department in conjunction with the Department of Health Services and the Office of the CEO.
The program was established after the Fire Department announced its agreement with PulsePoint, a mobile application designed to save lives by alerting CPR-trained people if there is a suspected sudden cardiac arrest in a nearby public place. If administered immediately, CPR can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival.
There are three parts to the Hands-Only CPR training: a 15-minute instructional video, a 10-question quiz, and a 30-minute, instructor-led session where participants can practice performing compressions on manikins. Once employees have completed all three portions, they are encouraged to download PulsePoint.
The initial plan called for the Fire Department to host multiple “train the trainer” sessions for designated members of other departments, who would then go on to train their respective department’s personnel.
The Fire Department, however, is now taking the lead to train entire departments due to limited access to manikins. Recently, members of the Lifeguard Division and the Public Information Office taught Department of Mental Health employees how to perform Hands-Only CPR to the beat of “Stayin’ Alive.”
Since last summer, about 4,000 County employees have completed the hands-on portion of the training. Another 100 are scheduled to be trained in the next month.
“This is an ongoing program until all County employees are trained,” Battalion Chief Anderson Mackey said.
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